Check out recent business updates in West Campus and downtown, including two new toy stores, a new cocktail bar and a temporary farewell to Paramount Theatre. 

This list is not comprehensive.

Now open
Modern Bar
Urbanspace Hospitality has debuted a new cocktail destination in the Rainey Street District. The bar is located on the first floor of The Modern Austin Residences.

• Opened April 10

• 90 Rainey St., Ste. 100, Austin

Orange Pocket
The store opened in the west campus on Valentine’s Day stocked with blind boxes, beauty products and collectibles. The grand opening featured free tote bags for the first 200 customers, as well as Sonny Angel and Smiski giveaways, according to its Instagram.

• Opened Feb. 14

• 2222 Rio Grande St #170, Austin

A requirement for all apartment buildings in Austin to offer composting collection has been widely adopted, with some reported compliance issues, as the city pushes for more adherence under its "zero waste" goal.

The details: The city's zero-waste policy aims to divert 90% of trash sent to landfills by 2040, in favor of recycling and composting. That goal is a key part of Austin Resource Recovery's waste collection service and comprehensive planning, and was recently expanded with a mandate for all multifamily properties to offer their tenants composting service.

What's happening: As the new standard went into place, Austin also rolled out an educational campaign for apartments and offered zero-waste rebates to affected property owners for implementation. Since first informing properties about the change in summer 2024, the city reports that more than two-thirds of Austin's more than 2,100 multifamily complexes are now compliant with the new composting offerings. With hundreds of properties still not meeting the standard, ARR is now planning to ramp up enforcement.

On May 26, Republican voters will choose their nominee for the Texas Railroad Commission in a runoff election between former Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French and incumbent Jim Wright.

The overview: The Republican railroad commission race is one of several statewide contests that advanced to May runoffs after no candidate received more than 50% of the vote in the March 3 primary election.

Wright and French were the two highest-performing candidates in the five-way primary race, with Wright receiving 32.1% of the vote and French collecting 31.7%.

The winner of the May 26 overtime round will face state Rep. John Rosenthal, D-Houston, in the November midterm election. Third-party candidates may also appear on the November ballot.

Did you know? The railroad commission regulates Texas’ oil and gas industry, while the state's railroads are under the control of the Texas Department of Transportation and the federal government. The agency has three commissioners elected to staggered six-year terms.

At the polls: Texans can vote early from May 18-22, with runoff election day May 26.

On May 26, Republican voters will choose their nominee for the Texas Railroad Commission in a runoff election between former Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French and incumbent Jim Wright.

The overview: The Republican railroad commission race is one of several statewide contests that advanced to May runoffs after no candidate received more than 50% of the vote in the March 3 primary election.

Wright and French were the two highest-performing candidates in the five-way primary race, with Wright receiving 32.1% of the vote and French collecting 31.7%.

The winner of the May 26 overtime round will face state Rep. John Rosenthal, D-Houston, in the November midterm election. Third-party candidates may also appear on the November ballot.

Did you know? The railroad commission regulates Texas’ oil and gas industry, while the state's railroads are under the control of the Texas Department of Transportation and the federal government. The agency has three commissioners elected to staggered six-year terms.

At the polls: Texans can vote early from May 18-22, with runoff election day May 26.